Today, Alexander Volkanovski is the UFC featherweight champion. For his last fight, a successful title defense rematch vs. Max Holloway at UFC 251 on July 12, 2020, on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, “The Great” hit the mandatory 145 pounds on the nose.
Volkanovksi began fighting in 2012, at welterweight, meaning he had to make 171 pounds. In 2014, then 5-1, he dropped down to lightweight. Successful in one fight at 156, the same year he dropped to featherweight, and largely fought at 146. However, right before coming to the UFC in 2016, he won a regional lightweight title in his home city of Wollongong, and had his big show debut at that division. But for his second UFC fight, he returned to featherweight, and is 8-0 since.
Things get really crazy when you go back before he started MMA. A decade ago, Volkanovski played semi-professional rugby league for the Warilla Gorillas in the South Coast Rugby League, becoming the team’s best player in 2010. And at that point the 5′ 6″ front rower weighed 2014, higher than the light heavyweight cutoff of 205 lbs.
Dropping 69 pounds from 214 to 145 while going from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one is not unheard of, but a professional athlete doing so has very little precedent. The story seems unbelievable, but the fighter posted proof recently on his social network.
— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) February 10, 2021
Volkanovski’s second title defense is against Brian Ortega on March 27, 2021 at UFC 260, in TBA. Ortega saw his 14 fight undefeated streak broken by Holloway in the main event of UFC 231, on December 8, 2018, in Toronto, Ontario. However, Ortega bounced with a Unanimous Decision win over Chan Sung Jung in the main event of UFC Fight Island 6, on October 18, 2020.
UG, who wins Volkanovski vs. Ortega? And what’s the most weight you ever lost?
